1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive environment monitoring device which monitors an environment of a vehicle by using an image obtained from an imaging unit mounted on the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Concerning a technology for identifying an object, a pedestrian or the like, which has a possibility to contact a vehicle, on the basis of an image of environment of the vehicle photographed with an infrared camera mounted on the vehicle, there has been disclosed an invention, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-6096.
However, according to the above mentioned invention, in the case where the head, the body or the like of the pedestrian is overlapped with a building in the background of the image, it is difficult to determine the existence of the pedestrian.